Tuesday, December 30, 2008

both bryan and i are middle children, so we are really trying to not leave his baby book blank and to chronicle these moments. i think bryan captured bodie quite beautifully - he loved his first bath...maybe even remembered his birth...i think we have a water baby on our hands...

i think a "red period" is exactly what bryson is experiencing right now. we had a wonderful spaghetti and meatball dinner last night prepared by Candis and Eric, Julia and Donny were over. Bryson asked to excuse himself and i nursed Bodie and things were too quiet...way too quiet...i started to get a sinking feeling and julia offered to check on him and then we heard a very horrified "Bryan" coming from the back.

Bryson had found an ink pad left over from christmas card making and julia found him sucking on it...after he had managed to get it on the nightstand, bed, bedroom wall...basically all over. i kept telling myself this will be funny someday...but then Bryan showed me he took a picture of Bryson and it made it funny instantly...oh Bryson...we love you and your crazy personality so much...i hope this time of adjustment goes swiftly by!!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

i just looked at my phone, which i don't seem to care to answer these days very much, and i think i have about 5 voicemails i havent even listened to yet...so please do not be offended if you have left a message and it is unanswered. i just wanted to let you all know that i am still here...still with child and starting to get very VERY ready to have this baby. i began waddling today, so i know i am close, but as to how close i have no idea. i am trying to maintain a semblance of patience and take into account the 9 lessons and carols from our church service today and adapt a spirit of waiting...what a great reminder to me especially! i am very blessed to have both my mom and bryan's parents here to care for me, bryson and my house - i have been spoiled with amazing home-cooked meals by Candis - lentil soup, chicken soup, a swedish feast, prime rib, roast, and sandwiches and crepes and oh my i miss my mom! and today Kathy made her Sunday spaghetti...and to top it off - i havent had to clean a single dish...it feels so good to be cared for - nothing like mothers! but i am doing okay...trying to walk as much as i can and be as active as i can, but mostly i am trying to keep my mind off of things because i am really trying hard to keep my mind focused. thank you to all of you who are checking in with me and care about us and are keeping us in your prayers - i covet them all i truly do. if you want to be notified as to when i am in labor - shoot me an email or post a comment and i will make sure bryan sends a text when everything starts so that you can start praying! and i will of course have bryan post a picture up as soon as he can after our little one arrives. thank you and love you all and hope your advent season is filled with longing and hope as well!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

This article was in today's Long Beach Press Telegram...i thought it too good to keep to myself...

Cruel and unusual punishment or just good, old-fashioned discipline?Dennis Baltimore Jr. was caught vandalizing school property at Long Beach's Wilson Classical High School.He was sentenced by his dad to walk the streets of Long Beach and Signal Hill on Tuesday for five hours in two locations wearing a sign saying, "I am a juvenile delinquent who should be punished. I have wasted your tax money with dumb acts of vandalism in the public schools."When Dennis Baltimore Sr.'s phone rang Monday, he didn't know the call from his son's school would cost $875, the price of the vandalism."In a time of this uncertain economy, I'm sure the public is not going to like it," he said. "So one way I am going to discipline him is to have him walking around with a sign stating his crime."Baltimore Sr., who works in the engineering department of DirecTV, moved to California a few years ago from Washington, D.C., where he worked for CNN and Fox News. He has a three-day assignment to do video for Fox News for the presidential inauguration in January.The father got the sign idea from a news story of an unemployed man in New York who recently advertised his resume on a board and walked the streets in search of a job."I didn't come up with this idea myself. I want to thank the guy in New York," he said. "When I saw that, I went to the store, bought the supplies and made the sign."

Monday, December 15, 2008

my sweet sister took me out on a date yesterday to go see the Twilight movie. i was so excited to see it...such a dork i know! the really sad realization though is that I AM OLD! i seriously developed a crush on the guy who played Bella's dad...soooo much hotter than the vampire dude. how sad is that? but seriously - he was hot. it seems like a lot of these teen guys look like vampires - the whole cast of Gossip Girl look like vampires to me...its that rich, white thing i guess. and her dad had a mustache in the movie, but i am convinced it was to make him look older...and more like a cop...but i couldnt find any pictures of him with his stache so this is the actor who played him...

anyway...the movie...right- so it was a pretty good representation of the book. i feel like the over-pronouncement of apples was a little silly (the whole fruit of immortality thing) they over-played it if you ask me...also a lot of the cut shots seemed so late 1990s - it didnt really move me. i really loved the little actress who played Bella - she was exactly how i pictured Bella in my head, which is always lovely when that works out...and also the actor who played Jacob was exactly perfect for my imaginary casting. I keep winding back and forth between this being the best thing for pre-teen and teen girls and the absolutely worst thing. i mean - i just finished the last book and it was a little over 750 pages. my 15 year old niece read it...all of it...all of them. i dont recall reading any book that long in high school...or being so excited about a book at that age. plus i am tending to think that Bella is like every hormonal teeange girl's BEST friend. she makes every decision based on emotion pretty much but her consequence ends up being immortality - go figure. anwyay - i am still trying to make up my mind about the series, but they have been absolute brain candy and fun to imagine!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

at least i hope its the last...i know this baby isn't ready yet, but i sure am - or rather my back is ready...i am being forced to post this...and i only do it for my girlfriends cross the country who can't be here to witness "the belly" this is for you...only about 10 more days until my "due date" - please keep us in your prayers! my mom comes tomorrow and i am so looking forward to her visit - it doesnt feel like the holidays without her for some reason. anyway - hope you all enjoy this seldom seen shot...which is seldom seen for a reason, but i couldn't resist sending it out for the viewing pleasure of my girls in portland, texas, chicago, new york, etc...love you!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

i love this cat. anyone who has met this cat and especially spent the night at our house has been fortunate enough to know the BBQ...he is "special" - we can't ever be mad at this cat despite his annoying 6:00 a.m. wake up meows and the fact that he eats EVERYTHING. this is why. i wish we would've waited to do christmas cards, because this would have been it. Bryson finished his breakfast early this morning and ran in to tell us "I gotta show you something" which is usually something that he did that he knew he shouldn't...i.e. pine sol on the wall or crayon on the wall, or a broken ornament, or scissors lying somewhere...or...or...or...anyway i follow him into what we call the "godfather room" and there is BBQ seriously trying to get comfortable in our "godfather tree" - like he really wants to nap there in between the bubble lights. that is why we love him.

Today is Dec. 13th...also known as St. Lucia Day - click here for more information because i know you are curious about it...it is making me miss my mother like crazy - but i only have to delay the celebration a couple days since she is attempting to come on the 15th. Hopefully i can convince her to make her Swedish T-Ring and some other goodies! The holiday brings back nightmares of the lighted candles dripping hot wax on my head and then my mom finally found an electric wreath (i believe in solvang - mecca of scandanavian goods for californians) - can you see the fear on my face in the first picture? you dont even want to know the amount of tantrums and i presume bribing since now i am a parent myself and know all too well the tricks parents use to inflict torture on their offspring. We always celebrated in our families that the eldest daughter was St. Lucia - a charge that i quickly outgrew and wished upon my younger sister, however she never had to endure the "real" wreath, which always made me a little bitter. After we were both grown they passed the torch to our niece Katlyn and now that she has outgrown it (14 is waaay to cooool for being st. lucia) Hope, her younger sister, is now our little St. Lucia. I hope that one day i have my own little St. Lucia to torture, but until then I will force poor Bryson and the "new one" and my dear Husband to endure Swedish Festivals and family traditions...and although he jokes about it, i know Bryan is starting to fall in love with the holiday too...or maybe its just my mom's T-Ring. Either way - this is a special day for many Swedes who covet what little light they have and their St. Lucia helps to bring some very needed lifting of winter spirits.

Friday, December 12, 2008

I just read in the paper that Bettie Page died today at 85 - the news story is here for all the details. I have always been a pin-up girl fan since my high school days, but Bettie scared me with her whips and leather until i saw the documentary of her in 1998 - Bettie Page: Pin-Up Queen - it was so interesting if you have never seen it. In fact, it was the last time she allowed an interview. She wouldnt show her face, so the interview is kinda from the back of her chair...she didn't want people to photograph her in her old age - she wanted people to remember her when she was young and smokin hot...anyway - it intrigued me because both that documentary and the movie in 2005 that Gretchen Mol played her in - The Notorious Bettie Page - that she really didnt have an agenda with the bondage and racy stuff she did. She didnt think she was doing anything wrong - she truly thought she was making people happy. She also had no problem with nudity - she even told Hugh Hefner in 2005 that she never felt shame with posing nude - that it was how the good Lord made us...i found it fascinating that here is someone that feminists have upheld as "paving the way" for women to express themselves and she viewed it as no more than a paying job...much better pay than a secretary's wage. Anyway after that I thought she was just great because the idea of someone so innocent and carefree with a whip just made me smile a little...I will miss Bettie Page in this world for that reason!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

i have been crazy baking. not even with the pretense of holiday gifts...sadly. i do intend on baking some holiday cookies for my jr. league girls tonight, but it just recently entered my head. i think this baby inside me is just really needing that good ol' home-baked sugary goodness. okay...probably not - its probably me - but i brought bryson into my madness. bryan came home to this picture and snapped a shot...bryson wasn't too happy about the "guhl" apron, but sorry we have no "boy" aprons yet!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

its december...i have been looking forward to this month for more than one very obvious reason...i love this time of year. as soon as thanksgiving was over we picked up our tree on the way home from my dad's...by we i mean i forced bryan to pick up our tree. he is such a good sport. i busted out the christmas cd's and we trimmed the tree and for all my cheesiness i think both my boys liked it. i know its going to be like this every christmas...the boys placating my holiday cheesiness, but secretly enjoying its traditional cheesy wonderfulness. at any rate - i am showing no signs of stopping. we put up lights a couple of days ago, and again by we i mean i made bryan put up the lights. and every night bryson demands that we go see them - which i am thankful for because they are quite wonderful. its about the only thing making me get out of the house at this point. i am in full hermit mode and attempting to make my hermitage as comfortable as possible...by filling it with pine and cedar and lights and reminding myself that soon...very soon...

this last weekend we were able to go to the orange county SWEA swedish festival. i remember going as a child and watching the st. lucia pageant (and at one point begging my mom to get the electric candle wreath instead of the evil wax-dripping real one! anyway - it was delightful to be around such delightful people...swedes are truly amazing people - don't you know? i was also surrounded by delightful swedish handmade goods...my little secret obsession with tomtes had to assuaded somehow - i was able to get an advent wreath and tomte knick-knack in one so i was pretty happy...let me tell you.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

the person who tagged me was late on posting their tag, and i guess i followed suit...i was just reminded by reading a similar post...i was tagged by Whitney the creator of some beautiful jewery (hey...just in time for a holiday plug) Bel Kai Designs. The challenge is to share 7 facts about yourself...let me just grab a cup of coffee first...okay here goes...1. i grew up on a farm...ish in yorba linda (i think barn, corral, horses, goats, chickens, ducks, tractors count as farm right?)2. i have a strong loathing for ann hathaway for no good reason...just the mention of her name makes me mad3. i had my day as a swing dancer and have a super small appearance in Truman Show (dont look too closely for me - you'll get dizzy)4. i am a registered libertarian and closet conspiracy theorist and still think my name is on a list somewhere and freak out every time i go the airport (there was also a year in college in which i was certain taxi cabs were following me, but that is a different story for a different time)5. cilantro, horseradish and wasabi all gross me out but i wish they didnt...dont hate on me for this one - i have tried...believe me i have tried...6. i still think that Blame It on the Rain is a good song7. i am planning a home birth and its just about all i think about lately - i can't wait to meet this boy!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

so...we were going to deep fry our turkey, but it turns out to be pretty costly to get all the stuff to do it, so we are going to be roasting....however...in my search for something new to do with the thanksgiving turkey i came across the ever delightful Turducken...which is a de-boned chicken inside a de-boned duck inside a partially de-boned turkey...seriously...has anyone ever done this? obviously, because there are pictures, but really - is that appealing to anyone? that would take so much work. i have been obsessing over it all day long...

Friday, November 21, 2008

i have a quiet reflective night tonight and thought i would jot down some of my random pregnant brain thoughts...with bryson recently turning 3 i find myself shocked every day by how much a little man he is turning into to. i know - you hear parents say it all the time and how cliche - and how true and how overstated...but seriously...i can't get over it. i love the way that he is making sense of things and although we have days...like today - dear God...where i wish he would stop talking for just 2 minutes, at the same time his verbal sense is inspiring. for instance...two of my favorite words that he has made up are: 1) clawbster = lobster....because really - they are clawbsters...makes more sense doesn't it? and 2) jumpoline=trampoline...because really - we don't tramp on them...

also - whenever we question him about anything..."what did you do with the little piece that fits on the tripod that mommy just bought daddy?" his reply = "anything"....or..."what were you just doing to the cat...why is the cat running away like that?" his reply = "anything". its so perfectly fitting...we know he means to say nothing...but that would really be a lie wouldn't it? anything is a much more appropriate response for a 3 year old who is really up to anything and everything.

he is starting to ask why questions about his world and starting to make sense of his environment and starting to form social relationships and social groups and become geographically aware that we live somewhere different than other people. the awareness came into effect with our san jose trip last weekend. when we had gone before (i believe it was in September) we left long beach around 8pm and he slept - we told him that meema and papa live far far away. he woke up when we got there - recognized their house and said, "see i told you - it wasn't far far away!" this last weekend when we went we left around 6pm and he was awake until 9 and then woke up again at 11:30 because we hit construction on the pacheco pass, at which point he started singing, "I'm never tired...I'm not going to sleep" - he remembered that the last time we got to meema and papa's house meema woke up and played foosball with him at 3:00 in the morning for 30 minutes...so of course he wanted to stay up for that. anyway - he got a better sense of how far the trek was this last time and constantly asks me what the place is called where meema and papa live...

i love this age where their imaginations are bigger than the tiny world we have constructed for ourselves and where their excitement and wonderment can bring out inner children in all of us and where energy seems to be bottomless and sometimes (not nearly enough though) contagious. i hope as a parent i can help this phase to last a good long time and to make sure i do everything i can to keep the world exciting and fresh and new. i think their innocence is the best gift they can give to the world and i wouldnt want anyone or anything to taint that.

don't get me wrong...this is not an easy age. these last two days when i have said his prayers i have asked God to help me know how to parent this child...his will is relentless, his energy neverending (we put him to bed at 8:00 and he didn't fall asleep until just about 10:00 - talking to himself for 2 hours!) and his verbal knowledge that i love so much was constantly spouting...everywhere...loudly...but even through all the tantrums and whining and boundary testing there pop up these precious sweet moments that melt you and make you want to do it all over again tomorrow...just after some sleep...and maybe coffee in the morning would help too.

my time with him as my only child is coming to an end and i have mixed emotions. i look so forward to him having a sibling...especially a brother he can do whatever it is boys do with each other...probably fight...a lot...but i know that it will be hard to not have the alone time i have with him now like i do - to lay down with him when he takes his naps (which are becoming less and less frequent sadly) - to do a craft in the afternoon together...all the precious mommy and bryson times are now going to include another being. i am just about 36 weeks and the realization that this baby could be born anytime now is starting to hit and i am increasingly excited and nervous all at the same time.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

bryan's cousin Mike was at the wedding and they wanted me to take shots of them because Mike evidently tells everyone he has a black twin/cousin...i hadnt noticed before this night, but the Italian really shows through when he is with him...hilarious!

Monday, November 17, 2008

i am still trying to recover from this weekend, but it will most likely take me all week. we had 2 birthday parties (one for our niece Kaliya who turned 11 and one for Bryson and I), 1 wedding (Bryan's cousin Cady) and 2 baby showers (Kristie's and a surprise one for me!)

on our way back home we stopped off in santa barbara to have (we thought) a nice dinner with jeff and solera and instead walked into a room of our very awesome college friends who surprised us with a baby shower. we are so blessed to have such amazing thoughtful friends. they decorated onesies for us...some of which we can actually dress our baby in...i'll post some of my favorites later. i am still overwhelmed that they all threw it together so fast and that so many people came - we love you all!

(This pic is of the Barnes family at the wedding on Saturday...i love bryson's expression - priceless!)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

many of you i am sure have heard that there has been a nasty fire in santa barbara / montecito this week. here is an update from yesterday on the westmont fire update website (Las Barrancas is the faculty housing neighborhood where many of the Westmont professors live & Clark Halls is a dormitory for freshman and sophomores):

8:00 am: There are no active fires on campus, no injuries, and everyone is safe.

Wesmont has 326 students remaining in the Gym; those students with transportation have been released from campus because it is safe for them to travel on area roads.

Westmont has lost eight structures, four buildings in Clark halls (F,G,M,S), the physics building, the old math building and the two quonset huts. The later three structures were scheduled for demolition soon.

Fourteen faculty homes in Las Barrancas have burned; there is damage to trees, and wooded areas on campus, but much of the formal gardens remains intact.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

we had a ton of fun at the patchwork show, and true to our promise we posted all the goods we have left over at our etsy shop. it has been so much fun making all these things, it can get tough to part with them sometimes because you put so much time and thought and love into each piece. but...we'll sell out, don't worry! i have some ideas i am working on for future shop items, mainly i need to beef up my BOY supply...any ideas???

the friendkidly three have been working very hard and we have basically put together a brand new shop with all sorts of new items and goodies...just in time for the holidays! remember to keep it handmade this holiday season and check out the stash!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

i just heard about these books about a month ago and after being accused of "living under a rock" for never having heard of them i ordered it through half.com and read it in like 2 days. i kind of wanted to not like it - i am not a big vampire fan...i guess...they never have really intrigued me i suppose, but i think this book sparked a new fascination. one thing i must say is that this book is extremely linear - there are really no side stories or side plots and it was odd to read a book about just one plot - that stuck out to me, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. what i did love is that the author - Stephanie Meyer - totally captured the high school love/crush thing. i couldnt help but harken back...way back to a crush on a boy who was no good for me and i knew it but i couldnt stay away...he wasnt a vampire, but then again - who knows? i loved the way she forced the reader to ride along on the hormonal rollercoaster of a 17 year old girl. anwyay - it wasn't shakespeare...which i still have yet to finish, sorry joel - but it was absolute brain candy and i didnt hesitate to order the second one in the series almost instantly...

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

to both of my grandpas - Wally and Darol - Wally was in the merchant marines and Darol in the navy....Happy Veterans Day and thank you for all you did for our country...Bryson and I visited Grandma June and Grandpa Wally today and I tried to keep the bull in the china shop from destroying their apartment...they were so happy to see us and i snuck in this little moment too of Grandpa and Bryson:

This last Sunday friendkidly participated in our first craft show at Patchwork in Santa Ana. it was a great event of local artists and crafters and we actually sold a bunch of stuff. More than that, the feedback was more than encouraging and we have all caught our second wind, despite multiple children and pregnancies and kids refusing to nap. we met some great people, ate some great food, heard some great (and not-so-great...lets be entirely honest) music. We are updating our shop this week with new goodies too since we passed out so many business cards! stay posted and remember to buy handmade!

Monday, November 10, 2008

my baby boy turned 3 on saturday...we had a great little get-together with family to celebrate the momentous occassion...he got all sorts of fabulous big kid toys that he is truly playing with now...maybe he will stop trying to use my desk objects now as toys...not holding my breath though! i am still not believing my son is 3...but he keeps reminding me - how do i know he is 3?1. he asks "why" constantly2. his imagination is overwhelmingly active3. he is wearing big boy underwear and using the potty all by himself4. he is able to be in a room by himself unsupervised (for at least 10 minutes)5. he can dress himself from his shirt to his shoes6. he can count to 107. he knows the street he lives on8. he remembers when you tell him promises or bribes9. he is trying to give up his nap10. he is creating friendships and relationships in such an amazing way now

Thursday, November 6, 2008

so suddenly it seems we wake up with a kid...and suddenly it seems we are meant to parent said kid...and suddenly said kid is asking all sorts of questions that i never really thought i would have the need to prepare to answer...like for example - bryson came into the office the other day while i was working and tells me he is scared of Jesus. "why?" i ask..."because he has white claws and white eyes and scary hair"...hmmm...i try to think of how he got this image of Jesus and who exactly he thinks Jesus is anyway - we say his prayers every night and he knows Jesus lives in heaven with stars and angels, but how did he come to be a monster i asked him...no answer...so i googled Jesus...isn't that funny? i wanted to put a different image in his head than a monster so i googled our Lord and Savior...anyway - this wonderful picture came up and i showed him that Jesus was a man and probably had a beard and was Jewish...i am sure we can discuss that later...but i suppose it helped replace white-claw Jesus with baby lamb Jesus at least...is there a book somewhere for all of this? cause i should probably read that book...this kid is surprising me every day with how he makes sense of the world...

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

happy birthday dear birthday twin/cousin...see you tonight at Hibachi...yummmm....Hibachi! You may have to click on the picture to see it better, but look at us...from our fake little performances we tortured our families with to our high school performances we tortured our families with...warning...do not look too closely at our little thigh sizes...we were in high school and it is never fair to compare 30 year old thighs with teenager thighs...just be grateful we looked like that when we had to wear those...in front of people...at some times in front of our own student body...it is because of you i got back into dance and i am so grateful for it - thank you for being like a big sis to me always! love you!

Monday, November 3, 2008

can you guess who Bryan was? Bryan surprised me for my birthday and flew in Jena (and her baby Eliot who turned 1 year old on Halloween!) from Portland and my brother flew Ruthie in from Texas in to celebrate with me. such a sweet sweet surprise. i miss my girls so much and it was so wonderful to have them there with me...we went shopping and stayed up late talking and laughing and looking at goofy college pictures of us and had brunch and i loved every minute with them. I also loved that we got to be with Eliot on her birthday - what a darling baby and what an amazing mommy she has! definitely the best Halloween ever! we went to the carnival at our chruch. bryson couldnt decide between pirate and ghost so last minute costume decisions were made...he ended up a pirate!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

pshaw...wondering if that makes sense...i never attempted to spell it...anyway - after an inspiring episode of alton brown on garlic i decided to attempt the recipe he had for 40 clove chicken. i knew we were having company and i knew i wanted to make a soup with the leftovers so i added some more chicken pieces and thought i would add some more garlic. having a husband that is half italian however, i know from experience to laugh in the face of a recipe that calls for measly garlic. i typically triple the amount they ask for...this is funny and i pause because i realized that i did this last week when he confessed that he never puts in less than 6 cloves in recipes...anyway - i just started peeling the cloves and then decided to count later...what started as 40 clove chicken turned into 75 clove chicken...yes...75 cloves and i have never had a better response to my chicken before...the other 2 boys that came over for dinner dont usually eat roasted garlic, but did and loved it, so i thought i would pass this recipe along since it made me such a star...

Monday, October 27, 2008

i was just looking through our pictures over the weekend and was totally shocked by this picture. all my grand ideas of being smaller with this pregnancy and not gaining as much weight are totally gone...i have been eating so healthy and chasing after bryson and keeping active...i guess my body likes to do pregnant this way...totally huge!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

bryson was looking forward to carving pumpkins with his mee-ma and papa (bryan's parents) all week. we went and picked out our pumpkins and i got a white one, "cause i'm white" i joked. bryson said, "i want to be white like my mommy." kathy asked him, "do you want to be white like your mommy or brown like your daddy." "i want to be brown like my daddy." i laughed and said, "you get what you get kid...you're stuck with your skin." he replied, "bummer". that is his new word...bummer...i laughed so hard - he is cracking me up lately...here are our pumpkins...

Thanks for Poppin By!

Hi there! Come on in! I love visitors...my name is Carlee - wife, mother of 3 crazy boys, and owner/creator of Sweet B Handmade clothes and Zoodies. Welcome to my brain space where you will learn way too much about Sweet B - both in the home and on the craft table! Feel free to email me you can find my information by clicking on contact in the header above. Have fun!